The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for caching item information in a cloud-based point of sale system.
Recent technology has trended towards the use of cloud-based computing systems. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (similar to an electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet). Cloud encompasses computing technologies that provide computation, software, data access, and storage services that do not require end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services. Cloud computing providers deliver applications via a network, such as the Internet, which are accessed from web browsers and desktop and mobile apps, while the business software and data are stored on servers at a remote location. Most cloud computing infrastructures consist of services delivered through shared data-centers and appearing as a single point of access for consumers' computing needs. Commercial offerings may be required to meet service-level agreements (SLAs), but specific terms are less often negotiated by smaller companies. The collection of servers, storage systems, and the like that provide these services to client computing devices is referred to generally as “the cloud.”